The antidote to ideologies

At the End of the Day

Ten out of the last twelve Slogposts have been on the subject of the Greek debt crisis, and believe me I’m as aware as you are of the need for a return to The Slog’s more eclectic past. The truth is, of course, that this isn’t really Greece v EU, any more than the Nationalists v Communists Spanish civil war was about two local traditions from Madrid and Catalonia respectively. It’s about Might is Right versus pragmatic sovereignty. The Reds are as always the underdogs – because they couldn’t organise a sit-in in a sofa shop: but better the occasional jolt of reality from idealists than the metaphorical tank divisions of the ideologues.

Anyway, the ideologues and the ignorant are doing much greater damage further afield, and so tonight I offer a welcome change from process in favour of cruelty at the expense of those who have ideas far above their station, and far below what truly creative people would call An Idea….or a proper education.

For example, this from Victoria Beckham in designer-advice mode: “If I wear a shorter dress, I like it to be loose and playful……At 41, my motto is tailored not tight. Loose just seems to exude a much more modern, youthful attitude.” So there you have it: to be youthful is to be loose, to be modern is to be playful. Why be tight when you can be tailored? Why be poor when you can be rich? Why be old when you can be young? Why have thoughts when you can ‘exude’ brainless piffle?

But here’s a real belter from America’s liberal community:

‘The New America Foundation found that twice as many people have died in attacks by right-wing groups in America than by Muslim extremists since 9/11’

The ‘point’ being made there is that white nutters have killed twice as many US citizens as vaguely dusky nutters. Well, glory be: the Muslim population of in the USA is circa 6.5 million. The white population of the Land of the Free is 314 million. So on that basis of judgement, US Muslims are 26 times more likely to commit murderous atroctities than whites. Did you know, by the way, that in AD 1208, Saladdin was twice as likely to murder Christians than vice versa?

But on the other side of the rigidly bigoted aka stupidly debased coinage of contemporary culture, you have to wonder what narrowly educated UK pillock in Tesco’s merchandising department decided it would be a good idea to feature smokey bacon Pringles as part of a special Ramadan food promotion. I’m the last person on Earth to pander to religious belief, but this idiocy comes under the heading of inviting vegetarians to a hog roast.

And finally, this from the Liberal Conspiracy website of two days ago:

93% of Immigrants Are Proud To Live In Britain, Nearly 9 out of 10 Respect Our Political System

If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s the depiction of immigrants as stupid.

Now, now. I don’t want to read any more disparaging remarks about the wonderful Mrs. Posh Beckham please.
Following Nobsore’s recent announcement to sell-off the rest of Royal Mail, it could be that her face adorns future postage stamps along with other notables: Lady Gaga; Miley Whatserbum; Chris Evans; Graham Norton etc. The possibilities are endless.
Philatelists, your time has come!

KJH
The possibilities are indeed headless but the heedless Chancer Robsone, being unhinged, will never appear in my album!

Nick
He’s being fitted up alright. I may not entirely agree with his politics but I have the greatest admiration for his tenacity so far. If he manages to shake things up for good, for the good of all, he will deserve the gratitude of millions.

Indeed as usual precise and nicely pitched. I find this all almost impossible to understand anymore, what?, all of it! I am a well educated balance person with a host of interesting life experiences personal and business not given to either stupidity or ignorance but one is left with the impression they are all mad, insane how else do you describe the deliverance of complete drivel for conversation, utter stupidity by the elites, the deranged beliefs of the mighty and the complete stuff up the world has now become. Now I will just fly out this window and see my Doctor.

On a similar note… From time to time I keeping hearing gay men saying that because heterosexual cases of HIV in the UK are now around the 50% mark, that means it’s no longer a gay issue. Somehow they’ve missed the fact that gay men are just one or two percent of the population. It sends out a bad message to young gay men who see their straight friends behaving in a certain way and then pop down to the local gay scene where they may have a one in ten or even greater chance of meeting a man who is positive. None of the above is intended to demonise anyone, I’m that way inclined myself. But just another example o. misuse of figures.

Apparently HMS Bulwark is to be replaced by a survey vessel. Is the Royal Navy really that depleted ? Combined European navies should be patrolling the North African Coast and putting rescued migrants ashore there, rather than landing them in Italy for “processing”. Most migrants would then hopefully never get anywhere near Calais.

A logical idea, but sadly impossible, you would not be able to approach the Libyan coast without being shot at by Jihadists and the other north African states would not touch these people with a bargepole anyway.

Maybe brave Dave should have thought his middle east strategy through a bit better before he created the failed state of Libya which now has no functioning government at all. Gadaffi might have been a lunatic who ruled with an iron fist but at least that meant there was control. Now we just have anarchy and the jihadists (who incidentally all got given trucks with 30mm anti aircraft cannons attached by Dave so they could defeat Gadaffi).

I wonder if Tsipras is not playing a game and fudging as much as the Troika with the intention of getting them to kick Greece out of the Euro then, he can lay the blame at their doorstep. ‘Onest Guv, it was them that did it’…

:) kfc ,they think holding out will bring regime change,he thinks whatever he takes back,the people will reject it.he only has to say on such a important matter that a referendum is needed,he never has to agree to anything from any side & the worse that can happen is Greece gets the best possible which ever way others decide it should go!
Are the people & the creditors ready for their choice!

“93% of Immigrants Are Proud To Live In Britain, Nearly 9 out of 10 Respect Our Political System” So according to the lib dems less immigrants respect our political system than are proud to live in the country, I wonder just where this pride comes from, seems a strange word to use, and respecting something doesn’t mean you entirely agree with it either.